Frank DuFresne
Medical Officer Super Private First Class Frank DuFresne, or Doc, is a main character in Red vs. Blue, first appearing in Everything Old is New Again. His armor color is purple, a combination of both red and blue, as he helps both the Red team and the Blue team. Overview Prior to his introduction, Doc graduated from Jamaica State before becoming a medic, due to being a non-competitive pacifist. Because his name, "Frank DuFresne", is too hard to pronounce, according to Church, the cast nicknamed him "Doc" for his medical skills, despite being a bad medic at first. Ever since then, Doc has been rarely been called by his real name. He is also shown to be nerdy, similar to Simmons, having his knowledge center around environmental factors and health. Although he seems to be liked by several characters, he is commonly left behind by the main cast. Throughout the series Doc becomes more aggressive, most likely due to his infection of Omega. It has been stated by Burnie Burns that Doc was originally only meant to be a character that O'Malley possessed, however due to positive reaction and popularity, he continues to appear in later seasons, such as Revelation and Season 10. Role in Plot Arrival at Blood Gulch Doc was sent by Blue Command to treat Tex, three months too late. When he arrives, he examines the Blues until the Reds begin attacking them. He was then sent over to the Red Team as a 'hostage' following the firefight, but was actually on loan to both armies due to lack of resources, and therefore, not a real hostage. He draws the ire of both teams by being a pacifist which annoyed the Blues and disregarding Grif as a freind due to his popularity. When Church unkowingly takes remote control of the Warthog, Doc is 'kidnapped' by the vehicle as it attacks Sarge, but the Reds believe he is trying to escape and he pushes his luck when he rams into Sarge with the Warthog three times. Doc was eventually cast out to live in the caves when the Blues refused to take him back from the Reds. Infection by O'Malley Rejected by both armies, he is left in the middle of Blood Gulch caves. During most of Season 2, he is forgotten about by both teams, and is infected by O'Malley, after he tried contacting command. This happens after Tucker successfully gets the Reds to shut off their radios (after having Lopez sing in Spanish over the radio) and after Church and Tex eject O'Malley from Caboose's Mind. He finds a strange vehicle in the caves and begins forming a plan with O'Malley to his fear. Donut ultimately hears "them" and leaves before Doc notices. Under the control of O'Malley, Doc attacks everyone during the "Circle of confusion" A.K.A "Triangle of confusion" A.K.A " Rhombus of Terror". He out runs the teams, due to running in track, kidnapping Lopez and leaves Blood Gulch through the teleporter. This ultimately forces the Reds and Blues to work togeather, as the Blues need Doc to heal Tucker and the Reds need Lopez because of the plans he carries. Into the "Future" He's next seen on Sidewinder, where he fights the combined Red and Blue teams. During the battle, Simmons opens a portal to Battle Creek distracting him and O'malley. He is blasted into the future when the bomb goes off and takes-up residence in Zanzibar with Lopez. The Red Zealot finds them and they exploit his beliefs in order to make him guard the fortress. Doc/O'Malley didn't fight when Tex, Tucker, Caboose and the Reds attacked the fortress, though he and Lopez retreated to the beach and Lopez make his Robot Army. When the Robot Army attacks, Donut steals the motorcycle, and an Alien destroys the army and attacks Doc. Later Doc/O'Malley moved into another fortress, where they began forming a second plan, but was called back to Blood Gulch to see what was wrong with Tucker. After he arrives, he negotiated with the Blues before diagnosing Tucker with pregnancy. As Tucker began to give birth, he asked Caboose to aid him during the procedure. Taking Care of Junior After his arrival back to Blood Gulch, O'Malley leaves Doc, freeing the latter from the A.I.'s control. He then manages to deliver Junior, Tucker's kid, he feed Junior Caboose's blood, and was given the job of watching Junior. while Tucker was in a coma. After Tucker woke up he was still Junior's babysitter. When Sheila was acting strange Church sent Doc over to check on her, but Doc couldn't identify the problem. Also when Sister arrived he gave her a physical. During the final battle in Blood Gulch, Doc, Junior, and Sister were sent into the caves, but were taken captive by a resurrected Capt. Flowers possessed by Omega. After Flowers went into a coma, Doc provided information by watching the "secret monitors" underground and treated Flowers. He is last seen watching the ship explode and being at the Blue Base briefly. Later Adventures In Reconstruction, Doc was called to heal Caboose, but when he got there everyone had already left. In Revelation, Doc arrives at Valhalla to help the Red Team, but is taken captive and knocked out by Washington and the Meta after Simmons says he is sorry for getting him involved in the problem. When he wakes up, Simmons explains the situation to him and it was later revealed in Drink Your Ovaltine that Washington and the Meta needed him to find out and fix what is wrong with the Meta. When Washington leaves to confront Sarge, he and Simmons make a plan to use his medical equipment to neutralize the Meta, but both are too scared to do so. When the Meta decides to kill them, Doc fires a large blast directly at the Meta, causing the time distortion enhancement to reset. He feels happy of himself and believes that the Meta is no longer a threat, but Simmons explains that the Meta can still do damage. Doc ignores this fact, and when touched by the Meta's fist, he gets sent through a wall, with Simmons trying to help him out and escape with him. Unfortunately, Simmons isn't strong enough to pull Doc out of the wall and is forced to abandon him. After the Reds escape from the Meta and Washington, the latter returns to Blue Base to interrogate Doc. However, Washington is uncomfortable interrogating Doc while he's still in the wall and the Meta attaches the destroyed Warthog's winch to Doc and attempts to pull him out. Instead, he pulls the wall off and it, along with Doc, fall down onto the ground. Doc is then interrogated by Washington and the Meta, at first refusing to answer them, but he ultimately reveals Simmons mentioned sand, and was taken with them still in the wall. Taken Prisoner Washington, the Meta, and Doc arrived at the desert after both teams have left. There, Doc watches the Meta uncover C.T., but before Washington and the Meta can salvage her parts, they are confronted by the Aliens. Doc is then freed from the wall in Backup Plans, courtesy of Washington and the Meta. He then attempts at communicating with the Aliens and also tries to calm down Washington and the Meta, but fails as the two attack them. After Wash and the Meta kill all the aliens, Washington has the Meta search the camp while Doc is forced to see if any of the aliens are still alive. Soon there after, the Meta growls from inside the temple, and Wash orders Doc to go inside and check out what's wrong, but Doc explains his bad luck with caves, referring back to Season 2, when Omega infected him inside a cave. As Doc and Wash continue to bicker, the Meta reveals he found Epsilon's storage case. Wash confirms it is empty, and assumes that they moved him to the floating monitor's body. When hearing about the "floating eye", Doc starts questioning Wash about his sanity, even more so after the Meta denies seeing it. As the three of them are getting ready to leave, Doc tells Wash they have no way to follow the Reds and Blues. He asks Wash (stating that special agents have expert tracking abilities) if they can track them, using footprints, tree branches, or heat signatures as poor examples, but Wash rebuffs his suggestions. Doc then leaves to get ready to move out, after which Wash quietly asks the Meta the same questions Doc asked him, and is reminded that they are in the desert. When Doc returns, Wash tells him the Meta found a lead using a faint heat signature. Doc then demands credit for the idea, which he is denied. Doc then asks if they are aware of stockholm syndrome, where one likes and identifies with their captors, and states that no one has that yet, with Wash stating the feeling is mutual. Later when Wash detects Epsilon's recovery beacon, he orders Doc to go get a vehicle so they can pursue and capture Epsilon. Battle at Sidewinder Doc drives the group to the signal, finding Epsilon, but Wash realizes that it's a trap most likely made by a Freelancer. Doc questions Wash that if the assassin was a Freelancer then they would know that they would recognize the scenario. Wash told him he was over complicating things, but the mines activated around them and blow up. Doc then gets up, joins Epsilon, and watches a climatic brawl between Tex, Washington, and the Meta. During the fight Doc rescues Washington by using the Warthog's towing cable so Wash could climb up a cliff and get back into the fight. After the Meta traps Tex in the capture unit, Epsilon promises that he and Doc will fight them. However, when Meta betrays Washington, Wash tells Doc and Epsilon to escape while he holds the Meta off. As the two run, the Reds and Blues arrive in a pelican, interrupt Wash and Meta's battle, but almost kill Doc. When the Meta returns, Doc and Caboose help the injured Epsilon while the rest fight the Meta. After the Reds and Blues finally defeating the Meta, Epsilon asks Doc to help him enter the Capture Unit but Doc refuses saying it goes against his rules of being a medic. So, Epsilon enters the capture unit and Sarge asks Doc to go check on Washington who was heavily injured during the fight. Though he's not with the group when UNSC soldiers arrive, Doc seemingly helps Wash recover as the latter is seen healthy when joining the Blues. Return to Valhalla Doc returned in Season 10, where it was revealed that he assisted Donut after the events of Revelation and began living with him in Valhalla. He happily meets Sarge and Simmons in Valhalla, but the latter do not share his happiness. Sometime later, the Blues manage to take all of the Red's equipment. When Wash questions what else do the Reds have, Grif reveals the Meta's brute shot to them. The teams begin to argue, but Doc stops them and gives an inspirational speech to the Reds and Blues, reminding each of them on how much they have changed since they first met and, in the end, they got what they wanted. Following Doc's speech, the Reds and Blues decide to go help Epsilon and Carolina but Wash reminds them that the mission will be dangerous and the Director plays for keeps. Sarge, however, tells Washington that despite their troubles with Freelancers, the Reds and Blues have always managed to overcome them, due to having each others' backs. Wash, as a result, agrees to help. Doc then becomes overjoyed and leaves to gather his medical equipment for the trip. Suddenly, unknown to Doc, a trio of UNSC Hornets surround the group and attempt to arrest them, but the Reds and Blues manage to take the Hornets and fly off to Carolina and Epsilon's location; without Doc. Personality Doc is one of the calmest and least aggressive characters in the series. Many of Doc's actions do not benefit him in anyway, suggesting that Doc is a very selfless and kind. However, several situations have shown that Doc is quite cunning and wise, as he is able to get what he wants and comes up with ideas that could have benefited Washington when he was with them. Doc is also shown to be very timid and easily scared, such as being possessed by O'Malley, abused by the teams, and frightened to attack the Meta. Yet, after Omega left him, Doc becomes more assertive and self-confident, improving his character possibly because of the A.I. Though he has been abandoned, Doc has always returned to help those he knows, showing that he is a loyal and trusting person. Relationships Despite being neutral, Doc has developed many relationships with other characters. Themes Medical Practices When he was introduced, Doc's medical skills were questionable as several times they don't relate to the illness or don't help in recovering, such as giving Caboose a massage when he was shot in the foot. It's also shown that his medical scanner can identify the illness, but all the diagnosis of it are identified as green. However, his skills greatly improved later on in the series, such as when he was able to save Donut from dying in Season 10. Pacifism Doc has stated that he is a pacifist, meaning he isn't willing to fight and is against violence. This ultimately became a running gag as he was later possessed by O'Malley, a complete opposite. Even though O'Malley forced him to act violently, Doc still retains his morals and will, which caused the two to have many conflicts. After Omega leaves him, Doc was more aggressive than he originally was, but stilled claimed to be a pacifist. In n+1, Doc explained that he can't harm Epsilon because of the oath, "lobby against socialist reform" and "do no harm", further shows this trait. Abuse Doc is often abused by the main cast and antagonists. For example: in Season 2, the Blues used Doc as a bargaining chip to stop the Reds from attacking and was possessed by O'Malley; in Season 3, he was teabagged by the grunts and attacked by the Alien; and in Revelation, he was held hostage by Washington and the Meta. It's also shown that he's usually abandoned such as in Nobody Likes You, Recovering One, and a Season 10 deleted scene. Skills and Abilities Medication Originally, Doc was shown to be a bad medic; for example: he gave Caboose a massage when he was shot in the foot, he failed medical school, and is unaware of the syptoms for certain illnesses are. However near the end of Season 4, his skills in medicine greatly improved, as he was able to deliver Junior successfully, treat Capt. Flowers after Omega left him, treat the Meta when he came to Valhalla, and saved Donut from bleeding to death after a gun shot. He also helps Washington recover from his battle with the Meta. Cleverness Though he isn't one of the most intelligent characters in the series, Doc is one of the most clever. During Season 5, Doc was able to convince Command to not only promote him, but give him his own rank. In addition, Doc was also sly enough to get what he wanted every time, such as pulling ranks on Church to save Junior's life, having Caboose donate his blood to Junior, and getting to see Sister naked (something Tucker couldn't do). In Revelation, while Wash and Meta were tracking down the Reds and Blues, Doc had several suggestions that could have aided the ex-Freelancers that even Washington didn't consider. Combat Due to being a pacifist, Doc avoids conflicts as much as possible and isn't skilled in many weapons. However, when affected by O'Malley, he was shown to be quite skilled with the rocket launcher, such as when he took on both Reds and Blues at Sidewinder alone. Though he no longer has Omega, he has become more aggressive and willing to join in fights than he originally was. Rank Doc claims he pestered command for so long that they gave him the rank Medical Super Private First Class. He uses this to his advantage by ordering Church to leave Tucker and his kid alone. If his rank is official, than that makes him the second highest ranking (living) soldier of the Blood Gulch soldiers, behind Sarge. Gallery Doc - BGC Title.png|DuFresne obtains his nickname. Tucker and Doc wear green.png|Doc and Tucker wearing green to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Doc & Simmons.png|Doc and Simmons Meta punches Doc.jpg|Meta punching Doc Wash, Doc, & Meta Revelation.png|Doc with his captors. Doc & O'malley firefight.png|Doc/O'Malley in Firefight. Doc left behind - S10.png|Doc in a Season 10 deleted scene. LMK Doc.jpg|Doc Artwork Doc & O'Malley1.jpg|Doc/O'Malley Artwork (1) Doc & O'Malley2.jpg|Doc/O'Malley Artwork (2) Omega-Doc with Rocket Launcher.png|Omega/Doc on Sidewinder S2 - E20 -3.png|Doc meets the Blue team. Trivia *Doc is the only character shown on the Season 2 box art, with his back to the camera, making him the first character from the series to appear on a season DVD box art. *In the Special Episode, New Digs, it is revealed that Doc has more kills than any of the Blood Gulch soldiers (though this includes failure to save lives or when he was affected by O'Malley). *Ever since O'Malley left him, Doc has become more aggressive despite being a pacifist, such as back talking to both Caboose and Sister in Season 5, saying, "Fuck you guys" to Sarge, Grif, and Caboose in a Recreation deleted scene, using a Missile Pod in New Digs despite being a pacifist, calling his attackers "jerks" in Drink Your Ovaltine, and after firing at the Meta in Recovering One, Doc insults him continuously. Later in Standardized Testing, he says watching the Meta eat somebody would be "kind of interesting," and in Reckless, Doc wanted to join the Reds and Blues in a rescue mission. *Doc is the only neutral character from the Blood Gulch Chronicles to appear in the Halo 3 engine. *In Halo 2, Doc's emblem is a medicine pill. *Although it was confirmed at Comic-Con 2010 that Doc would return in Season 9, he did not appear in an episode. However, technically, he did appear in the Season 9 PSA Drafted, along with O'Malley. *According to comments made in Episode 26, Doc failed out of medical school, reinforcing him as the least qualified medical officer in the series. *Doc is a vegetarian, as stated in Episode 36. *Despite claiming to not be experiencing any signs of Stockholm syndrome, Doc does try to bond with Washington several times and even saves his life while he was held captive. *Though Doc is neutral in the Red vs. Blue war, he spends most of his time with the Blues in the Blood Gulch Chronicles. However, in Revelation and Season 10, he spends more time with the Reds than the Blues. *Doc always seems to end up with the antagonists of the series. He was under the control of Omega for a very long time in the Blood Gulch Chronicles and was held hostage by Washington and the Meta for most of Revelation. *Doc's rank could be considered similar to Grif's rank, as they are both not real in military, both are "first class", and both obtained them from Freelancer Command (Grif got his from Washington specifically). *Doc graduated from Jamaica State. *Doc claims that he gets paid overtime, much to Washington's surprise, due to the fact that Freelancers don't. *In a deleted scene on the Season 10 DVD, Doc was left behind at Valhalla while the others went to rescue Epsilon and Carolina. Doc, armed with a rocket launcher, walks outside and notices that the others have gone. A UNSC trooper then approaches Doc and asks him if he has three extra planes that he and his comrades can borrow before cursing at the teams. References Category:Characters